OVER THE COUNTER: For health’s sake, brush up on toothpaste ingredients

Tuesday

Mar 28, 2017 at 9:32 AMMar 30, 2017 at 7:22 AM

By Steve Bernardi and Gary Kracoff/Daily News Correspondents

Chances are, if you’re a regular reader of this column, you care about what you eat and drink. You scan the labels at grocery stores, checking for white flour and white sugar content, artificial colorings, high fructose corn syrup, animal fats and other offenders. But have you ever checked the label on your tube of toothpaste?

You should.

After all, you brush two or three times a day, we hope, and each time you do you ingest some of the minty paste. Read the ingredient list on the label, and you’ll likely find plenty of words you’ve never heard of and that you’d have trouble pronouncing.

What you don’t know, however, might hurt you. For example, one common active ingredient in popular toothpastes is triclosan. Sound familiar? If so, it’s because the controversial chemical made headlines last year when the Food and Drug Administration restricted how the antibacterial agent could be marketed in soaps and sanitizers. What’s not good enough for your hands, however, is still found in several types of toothpastes, despite studies showing it may alter hormones in animals, compromise the immune system and have links to cancer growth.

There are other ingredients in that tube to be wary of, such as hydrated silica. While supposedly safe, this is also used in paints and varnishes. Other chemicals in your toothpaste are also found in your shampoos and other products you wouldn’t think belong near your lips.

In fact, what you will rarely find in commercial toothpastes is anything that resembles something you’re used to putting in your mouth. And even the mainstay of most toothpastes, fluoride, can be harmful when consumed in excess.

What’s the answer? We’re certainly not saying you should stop brushing your teeth, flossing or rinsing with washes. After all, while often viewed as simply a cosmetic endeavor, oral health can affect the health of your entire body.

When out of control, certain types of bacteria, for example, can spread from your mouth through your bloodstream to the inner lining of your heart, causing a condition known as endocarditis, according to the Mayo Clinic. And unchecked oral bacteria is also believed to contribute to cardiovascular disease, such as strokes. In addition, tooth infections can become fatal if left untreated. So, dental health is nothing to take for granted.

But there are several alternative products we can use and habits we can acquire to help keep our mouths clean and free of potentially unpleasant chemicals:

Ask your dentist about using pastes and mouthwashes with non-fluoride ingredients, such as azadirachta indica – commonly known as neem. The herb, derived from a type of tree, has been used for decades in India in dentistry and has recently started showing up in tooth-care products in the United States. It appears to remove plaque and help prevent gum infections, according to a 2011 study published in the Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology. If your teeth are otherwise in good shape, your dentist may say it’s OK to brush with alternative pastes some or most of the time.For those who chew gum, choose a product with Xylitol. This sugar alternative may help prevent cavities, and possibly prevent the growth of certain harmful bacteria in our mouths. More recently, some mouth rinses and other products have begun using the ingredient as well.Swish without alcohol and fluoride. Ask your dentist about gentler rinses, such as those using small amounts of hydrogen peroxide or other ingredients, that will help keep your mouth clean, but that won’t add to your daily fluoride intake and won’t irritate your gums.Don’t think whiter is always better. Obsessing over the whiteness of your teeth may do little more than feed your own insecurities. Our teeth are not supposed to be paperwhite, and normal brushing should clean them enough to let you smile confidently. We advise avoiding whiteners that use harsh chemicals.Watch what you eat. This sounds obvious, but sugar in foods – even in fruits – should be brushed or rinsed away after eating. Avoid candy, especially sticky types that attach to your enamel and cause decay. Also, give your mouth a rest between meals, and know that most carbohydrates, especially simple ones, provide food for harmful, cavity-causing bacteria. Calcium-rich foods, on the other hand, can help contribute to better dental health.

Remember, oral hygiene is nothing to be brushed off. But what should be brushed off – with as few harmful chemicals as possible – is the plaque and sugars that can harm not only your teeth, but heart and overall health.

Steve Bernardi is a compounding pharmacist and Dr. Gary Kracoff is a registered pharmacist and a naturopathic doctor at Johnson Compounding & Wellness in Waltham, Mass. For more information, visit www.naturalcompounder.com. Readers with questions about natural or homeopathic medicine, compounded medications, or health in general can e-mail steveandgary@naturalcompounder.com or call 781-893-3870.